


Valentian Speed Chess

by RaenUE



Category: Fire Emblem Echoes: Mou Hitori no Eiyuu Ou | Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia, Fire Emblem Series
Genre: Alternate Character Interpretation, Alternate Point of View, Lukas would sell you to satan for one corn chip if it lead the Deliverance to Victory, Missing Scene, because he's absolutely this person in canon but he also goes to great lengths to hide it, that last tag is kinda misleading
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-20
Updated: 2019-05-20
Packaged: 2020-03-08 17:45:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,729
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18899551
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RaenUE/pseuds/RaenUE
Summary: Clive has sent Lukas to recruit Lord Mycen into the deliverance as a way of rallying the masses, but Lukas is having second thoughts about this mission. Mycen has gotten old, but his grandson seems to be the perfect fit for leading the Deliverance. Of course, he can’t directly recruit Alm to lead the Deliverance; Clive would reprimand him and Fernand would have his head, but if he can give the right people a little push in the right direction, maybe everything will work out in the end.Little does he know, that’s exactly what Mycen -and the very man who Lukas has realized they must defeat- wants.An Alternate POV fic for a few scenes from Echoes that explores parts of Lukas and (eventually) Mycen and Ruldolf.





	1. Chapter 1

Lukas looked up from his map. A small, sleepy settlement sat at the bottom of the hill he stood upon.

He had finally reached his destination: Ram Village, located at the very bottom of Zofia.

Morale within the Deliverance was falling and they were running out of new recruits. It was no surprise that the common folk saw nothing in common with the nobles who comprised their rag-tag group of soldiers, standing up in resistance against the military coup that struck down the least popular ruler Zofia had ever seen. Seeking to remedy this grave problem, Clive had sent Lukas to this outpost to recruit Mycen -a war hero who rose through the social and economic ladder all the way from serfdom to being a noble- to rally the troops. In concept the idea seemed great, but the long journey to Ram Village gave Lukas plenty of time to second-guess his mission.

By now, Mycen had to be in his fifties, maybe even his sixties. Would the people really see him as one of them, as their fellows? They were looking to recruit people who could fight, but would aging soldiers looking to relive their glory days really be able to do what the Deliverance needed to do?

Maybe it was for the best that Lukas was sent here on his own.

Worst case scenario, Lukas could try to grab a few novice recruits from this village and if any of them showed any promise, he could try to set up opportunities for that budding young hero to strut his stuff and demonstrate that he was a good choice for the next leader of the Deliverance. If they weren’t, they could still use one of as a figurehead, an icon that people could rallied behind. The fortress where Claire, Clive’s sister, was stationed was on the way back to the Deliverance base, so if she got involved in some sort of incident as she tended to when left to her own devices, so maybe the opportunity for some gallant young lad -someone other than Lukas, of course- to save the day would present itself and-

“Hey, are you lost? It’s not often that we get soldiers this far south.”

Lukas brought a halt to that line of thought and turned around to see a young woman, maybe two or three years younger than he was, standing there with a wicker basket hanging from her arm.

“Last time any came here was when…” the girl furrowed her brow, displeased by whatever memory had resurfaced within her mind, “Never mind, I don’t want to have to think about her if I don’t have to.”

“Oh, has news not reached Ram Village yet?”

Lukas raised an eyebrow. Word of Lima’s demise would travel somewhat slowly, of course, but had it really yet to reach every corner of Zofia?

“Of what? I’m Faye, by the way.”

Faye gave a small curtsy, tipping her basket enough to reveal that it was filled with some freshly-picked mushrooms. If she had the patience to hunt that many mushrooms during this famine, then maybe she'd be willing to put up with the life of a solider.

“Lukas,” Lukas returned Faye’s gesture with a small bow before his tone became serious, “King Lima has been killed. Rigel gave troops to one of the officers in Zofia’s army and they’ve taken the castle.”

“Oh! That’s… I guess I didn’t really like Lima,” Faye frowned for a moment, “but that’s still a terrible thing to do! Why head to Ram Village, then? The only place further from Zofia Castle would be Novis.”

“Well, some of the army has been opposed to this, but we’ve been lacking someone to rally the troops, so one of my superior officers tasked me with recruiting one of the most well known war heroes Zofia has seen, Mycen.”

“Oh, well that makes sense, I guess. I didn’t realize Sir Mycen was a hero, though.”

Faye looked off in the distance, her gaze looking a little dreamier than Lukas expected of someone so young thinking of someone so old, but if people Lukas’ age could look up to him, maybe settling for Mycen wouldn’t be the end of the world.

“Do you know where he lives? This is a bit of an urgent matter, so I’d like to speak to him soon if it’s possible.”

“Oh, of course! I can bring you there, but I need to drop this off first if that’s alright with you,” Faye gestured towards her basket.

“Feel free, I’d hate to rush a fine young maiden like you.”

Faye let out a light giggle that Lukas could only describe as a halfhearted attempt at brushing off his flattery without seeming too rude, before starting to head towards the village.

While Lukas wasn’t jealous in the slightest, it seemed like she already had someone she already set her sights on. If the feelings were mutual, perhaps they could be a package deal? Young ladies tended to be much better at first aid, so Faye would probably be a worthwhile recruit if nothing else bore fruit, and if she came with someone else it’d be all the better.

And the dreamy look in her eyes when Lukas mentioned Mycen? Lukas began to second-guess his first appraisal of what it meant. Perhaps she was thinking of a grandchild of his? If Mycen had a descendant around Faye’s age, then-

“Hey, are you coming?” Faye called from further down the hill, breaking Lukas’ focus.

“Yes, I’ll be there in a moment.”

 

* * *

 

“Who’s this, Faye?”

As they walked through what amounted to this village’s entrance, a young man around Faye’s age approached them.

“Hey, Tobin! This is Lukas, he’s from the capital, here to talk to Lord Mycen about-”

“Faye, what are you doing inviting a soldier into town? Did you forget what happened the last time soldiers were here?”

Another young man, this one looking to be closer to Lukas’ age, came up to them.

“Of course I remember, Gray, but this is-” Faye tried to continue her explanation, but was soon interrupted again.

“Who’s the new guy?”

A voice from right behind Lukas caused him to jump, and he turned to find a young boy -a few years younger than everyone else- with white hair standing behind him.

“Can you guys _please_ give me a moment to speak?!” Faye shouted, frustrated by the constant interruptions.

She could assert herself, so she might be a good choice for a recruit after all. Perhaps she’d be better suited for a pegasus knight? Their steeds did need a firm hand to get them under control…

“He’s here to-”

Faye was cut off again as Tobin shouted to a young man who just entered their line of sight.

“Alm! Come over here! This fellow’s here to see Sir Mycen. He was just about to tell us more.”

From the way that Faye’s eyes lit up at the mention of his name and her lack of displeasure at being interrupted again, it seemed that this ‘Alm’ was her beloved and quite possibly the mysterious descendant of Mycen that Lukas was looking for.

“Sorry, pal, but I still can’t trust a man in full armor,” Grey spat, side-eying Lukas before he turned back to Alm, “Keep one hand on your hilt while you talk to this guy, yeah?”

“But a bona fide knight—can you believe it? What’s he doing in OUR village? You’d have to practically ride off the edge of the map to find this place!”

The novelty of there being an outsider of what infinitesimal renown Lukas had had yet to wear off for Tobin, it seemed.

“He’s sure come a long way just to find a whole lot of nothing,” the white-haired boy grumbled, “Whatever he’s here for, I hope he hasn’t brought any trouble with him.”

“Alm!” Faye seemed on top of the world as she spoke to Alm, “How was sword practice? Everything go okay? Sir Mycen is far too hard on you… I hope you don’t have any new bruises!”

Lukas took the opportunity to butt in before this conversation spiraled any further out of his control.

“Good day. You must be Sir Mycen’s grandson. Alm, was it? My name is Lukas. I fight for the Deliverance.”

Alm raised an eyebrow.

“The ‘Deliverance’? What’s that? Aren’t you one of the Knights of Zofia? The king’s knights?”

Faye and Lukas both flinched, eliciting puzzled looks from the rest of this village’s youth.

“Oh, I see. I suppose that means word hasn’t yet reached your village. In that case, please forgive me for heralding such dark news, but,” Lukas paused, mostly to keep his audience on edge but also to make it seem like it was something that pained him to say, “King Lima IV is dead. He met his end some days ago at the hands of Chancellor Desaix.”

The news of King Lima’s death seemed to have no strong effect on anybody but Alm, which was understandable given how he was far from popular, but Lukas was surprised to see that the mention of _Desaix_ caused everyone else to wince.

Desaix was a crafty dastard, and maybe he had stuck his grubby fingers into this village at some point in the past.

“What? You’re saying it was regicide?!”

Alm’s outrage at the death of Lima, despite his personal feelings, told Lukas that the boy had a strong sense of justice. Perhaps he would be the best person to promote as the new head of their group.

“I fear so,” Lukas sighed, acting as dejected as he could, “It seems Desaix sold Zofia to the Rigelian Empire along with his soul.”

Lukas’ audience flinched at the second mention of Desaix, all but outright confirming his suspicions that they'd had prior experience with the corrupt chancellor.

“No doubt they promised him lands. Perhaps even a title. Upon Lima’s death, the chancellor and the Rigelian army seized Zofia Castle and began to visit unspeakable injustices upon the king’s people. Sir Clive—of the Knights of Zofia you mentioned—would have none of it. He formed an army to free us from Rigel and named it the Deliverance. However, we are outmatched and fast losing this war. We need a hero’s aid. And so I have come to the home of one of Zofia’s greatest heroes: Sir Mycen.”

“My grandfather?”

“Yes, Alm. Sir Clive would not have sent me were it not urgent. Will you take me to see your grandfather?”

“Y-yes, of course. Right this way.”

As Lukas followed Alm to his house, he could hear news of Lima’s death spread slowly throughout this small settlement. While Lukas now had his sights set on recruiting Alm instead of Mycen, it wouldn’t hurt to bring a few additional people back to join the Deliverance.


	2. Chapter 2

“Grandpapa? There’s someone here to see you!” Alm called from outside his house.

“I’m coming.”

An old man, older than Lukas could have ever expected to be an effective figurehead to rally the troops around, rounded the corner of the house but came to a stop the moment he saw Lukas in his armor.

“Alm, leave us.”

“Are you sure?”

Alm seemed uncertain.

“Yes,” Mycen walked towards the door “We’ll speak inside…”

“Lukas, sir.”

Lukas bowed.

“I’ll be inside with Lukas. Please find something to occupy yourself with in the meantime.”

Mycen didn’t wait to hear Alm acknowledge his request and went right into the house, and Lukas followed close behind him.

At this point, Lukas had no intention of recruiting Mycen instead of Alm, but he’d have to go through the motions if he’d want to hide what he was planning.

Mycen lead Lukas in to the kitchen of their house and sat down at the table. Lukas chose to stand.

“Why are you here, Lukas?”

Mycen’s tone made it clear that he was not thrilled to see any member of Zofia’s military again.

“To keep it brief, Rudolf has lent troops to one of the generals in Zofia’s army and they’ve killed Lima and captured Zofia Castle. I represent a portion of the of the Zofian Knights that oppose this coup, and we were wondering if you’d be willing to join our Deliverance to-”

“Who?”

Lukas blinked. Was he unfamiliar with the king that he had served? Had he already gone senile?

“I’m sorry?”

“Who took Zofia Castle?”

Would it really matter who it was? To a hero, a villain was someone who should be struck down, to be vanquished.

“I hardly see why that’s-”

“Answer the question, young man,” Mycen growled, making Lukas involuntarily step back in fear.

“It was Chancellor Desaix.”

Mycen remained silent for a few minutes. Why did it matter if it was Desaix? Did he have some sort of connection to that aging relic of the past?

“Then no, I will not be joining your ‘Deliverance’. Look elsewhere for a figurehead.”

“I beg your pardon?”

Lukas was surprised at how easy this was. He hardly expected Mycen to flat out refuse and he objected to Mycen’s refusal more out of reflex than an actual desire to have him explain himself. The matter of this village seeming to have some history with Desaix remained, but that was something Lukas could look into once things calmed down.

“My answer is no and my answer will not change. Please excuse yourself.”

Lukas sighed, gathered this composure, and did his best to seem disappointed at this turn of events.

“I apologize for wasting your time, then. If you change your mind-”

Mycen glared at Lukas and Lukas scurried out of the house, fearing that instead of returning to the Deliverance empty-handed, he might not return at all.

Maybe he had played his part a bit too well.

 

* * *

 

The moment Lukas left the house, Alm approached him. Lukas sighed, trying to ease Alm in to what he’d view as bad news.

“Lukas! What did he say?”

“He said no. Sir Mycen made it clear he has no intention of joining the Deliverance.”

“What? But he’s ridiculously strong! He could defeat that stuffy chancellor with his eyes closed! Why would he refuse when so many people are suffering?”

‘ _That_ stuffy chancellor’. So Ram Village did have some sort of history with Desaix. Maybe Lukas could use that to grab a few extra recruits.

“I cannot speak to Sir Mycen’s thinking, but it seems we misplaced our hopes. I’ll have to return to our hideout and bring Sir Clive the ill news. Perhaps Mycen has simply grown too old for the battlefield.”

The shock on Alm’s face told Lukas that he hit the nail on the head. Lukas knew that Mycen had been training Alm, so Alm’s firsthand experience with Mycen’s combat abilities must have convinced him that his grandfather was well-equipped to reenter battle, but the young man was left reeling at the revelation that Mycen refused to use the skills that he had gone to such lengths to maintain. Alm had been raised by Mycen and probably had inherited his sense of justice from the old man, but how would he react to the ideal that he had so firmly held his grandfather to being shattered? Would he give up, conceding that it was his grandfather's choice to leave -or not leave- retirement, or would he take matters into his own hands?

Lukas smiled politely, though Alm probably didn't realize it was more from the expectation that the dice would fall in a way favorable to Lukas and less out of a desire to appear gracious.

“It was nice to meet you, Alm, but I must be on my way. Thank you again for your assistance.”

Lukas left Alm to wallow in his disillusionment. He had war to get back to, and he had not a moment to waste.

Or at least he had to create that impression, to instill a sense of urgency into Alm. After all, hasty decisions aren’t always the most thought out.

 

Lukas had barely made it to the village entrance before Alm was able to shake himself of his disbelief and catch up to him.

“Lukas, wait!” Alm called out to Lukas.

“Alm?” Lukas feigned surprise, “What is it?”

“I’ll go. I’ll join the Deliverance.”

Lukas had to suppress a smirk as Alm fell hook, line, and sinker for every morsel of bait he had set.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like my 'interpretation' of Lukas' character is relatively self-explanatory, but if you're yearning for me to explain where this is present in canon, the most obvious example is when he tries to steer Alm towards Nuibaba:  
> "I’ve heard grim reports of this arcanist Nuibaba. She’s of a kind with General Jerome, who controls the Rigel Plains. They’re tyrants both, and their subjects suffer terribly under their yoke. But if a pack of good-hearted invaders such as us were to take them out? Well, we might find ourselves with new support among the Rigelian masses…"
> 
> Lukas is way more sly that people in and out of Fire Emblem give him credit for, and I wanted to shine a spotlight on that part of him. He'll get a few more chapters in this (whenever I get around to writing it :^U) before I switch to Mycen and then Rudolf.


End file.
